Thursday, May 7, 2009

Today in the News Media

Today in the News Media is a synopsis of some of the most prominent coverage of OSU people and programs. Inclusion of any item constitutes neither an endorsement nor a critique, but rather is intended only to make the OSU community aware of significant items in the media.

“Unusual” Sea Volcano Spews Acid, Grows Fast (National Geographic)
The volcano also expanded 131 feet (40 meters) in height and 984 feet (300 meters) in width—about as tall as a 12-story building and as wide as a city block, said project chief investigator Bill Chadwick, an Oregon State University volcanologist. (Also the Daily Mail)OSU’s ‘band of brothers’ deploy together (Oregonian)
The road to Monday’s mobilization ceremony in Eugene began in an Oregon State University classroom with the assembly, or disassembly, of an M16.

Where have all the big fish gone? (CDNN)
“Lionfish are minor players on their native Pacific reefs, yet they are undergoing a population explosion and overeating small fishes in the greater Caribbean region,” said Professor Mark Hixon of Oregon StateMarine Scientists return from expedition to erupting underseas volcano (Science 360)
Scientists, including Bill Chadwick of OSU, who have just returned from an expedition to an erupting undersea volcano near the Island of Guam report that the volcano appears to be continuously active, has grown considerably in size during the past three years, and its activity supports a unique biological community thriving despite the eruptions.Will Summer Weather Suppress Swine Flu? (Washington Post)
A more recent study at Oregon State University concluded that absolute humidity affects the transmission of influenza virus even more so than relative humidity. (Also Contra Costa Times)Engineering projects will be displayed at OSU (Daily Journal of Commerce)
A robotic arm, DNA video game and a waste-reducing operating room recycling system are a few of the innovative projects that will be on display next week during Oregon State University’s 10th annual engineering expo.

Today

A variety of events are taking place during Intercultural Communication Week. Writing Across Borders: A Conversation about International Students, Writing and the University, takes place 8:30 to 10 a.m. in Memorial Union room 206

Today there will be a poster presentation in the MU Ballroom for an event called Celebrating Undergraduate Excellence. The event runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and light refreshments will be served. More than 70 projects will be on display from students representing all colleges across campus. For more information see http://oregonstate.edu/events/cue/

Oregon State University’s Music à la Carte concert series continues with Jubilate!, the women’s choir of Corvallis. The free concert begins at noon in the Memorial Union Lounge on the OSU campus.

The 15th Annual Wheel-A-Thon takes place today and tomorrow in the Memorial Union Quad. On Thursday at 3 p.m., OSU basketball coaches and players will join with former basketball players to raise money for IMPACT and MS clinics on campus.

The Economic Vitality Partnership and the Prosperity That Fits Steering Committee is inviting the public to the fourth annual Prosperity That Fits Town Hall Meeting at 6 p.m. at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center Ballroom, OSU Campus. The keynote speaker is Robert Young, a University of Oregon Professor and renowned expert on Sustainable Cities. To register go to www.prosperitythatfits.us or contact Lynn Roylance, EVP Coordinator, at roylance@cbchambercoalition.com.

In This World, a docudrama, will be screened from 6 to 8 p.m., in Kelley Engineering room 1001. For more information call 541-737-7972.

Oregon State University Theatre will perform the West Coast premiere of Leroy Clark’s “Shakespeare’s Journey” tonight through May 9 and May 14-16 on campus. The performances, which begin at 7:30 p.m., will be on the main stage theater in Withycombe Hall, 2901 S.W. Campus Way, Corvallis. Tickets, priced at $12 general, $9 for seniors, $7 for students/youth, and $5 for OSU students, are available by calling 541-737-2853 or online at http://oregonstate.edu/dept/theatre/

Upcoming Events

NEW! A panel discussion / open forum on “Does Race Still Matter? Interrogating “Post-Racial” Notions in the Age of Obama” takes place at 6 p.m. May 12 in Memorial Union, room 213. The event is sponsored by Oregon State University Association of Faculty for the Advancement of People of Color (AFAPC).

NEW! Science Pub Corvallis takes place at 6 p.m. May 11 at Old World Deli in downtown Corvallis. This month’s topic is “Organic Food, Down & Dirty.” OSU Soil Science Instructor and Organic Growers Club advisor James Cassidy promises to “dish the dirt” on what’s essential for a healthy underground. Joining in the presentation will be Professor Anita Azarenko, head of the OSU Department of Horticulture.

NEW! An Innovation Lecture takes place at 10:30 a.m. May 11 in LaSells Stewart Center, Civil and Construction Engineering Hall. Patrick Murphy will speak about “Stimulating the Commercialization of Research-based Innovations: Re-structuring the IP Assessment Process and Seed-Stage Venture Fund Model.” He will present an overview of the risks involved at each stage of the commercialization process involving university and externally created IP, disclose real-world examples and experiences with unsuccessful commercialization attempts, and give an overview of how their fund is attempting to restructure the process to increase the value for each stakeholder as well as the success rate.

NEW! On May 15, Scottish-born novelist Margot Livesey will read from her award-winning 2008 novel The House on Fortune Street. A discussion and book-signing will follow. The literary event will be held at 7:30 pm in The Valley Library, first floor Rotunda, and is free and open to the public.

NEW! Are you interested in being part of a Weight Watchers At Work group? Open House meetings will be held on June 2 at 11:30 am and 12:30 pm in Rooms 322 A/B in the Student Health Services Building. The next 13-week session begins on June 9. If you are a PEBB subscriber, your meeting fees will be fully subsidized. The PEBB details will be shared at this Open House. For more information, please contact Kathi at 541-737-3106.

Auditions are set for May 10 at 2 p.m. for the Oregon State University Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” which will be performed on campus this summer. Auditions will be held at the Withycombe Hall Main Stage Theater on the OSU campus. Callbacks will be held in the quad of the Memorial Union at 5:30 p.m. May 11. All OSU students and members of the community are welcome to audition. The show is part of the annual Bard in the Quad series, which features an outdoor summer production of a Shakespeare play. Those auditioning should prepare a one-minute Shakespeare piece. The piece can come from any Shakespeare comedy (except “Twelfth Night”), drama, or sonnet. Actors wishing to be considered for the role of Feste should prepare an additional one minute song.“Twelfth Night” will run Aug. 5-9 and Aug. 12-16 (with a pick-up rehearsal/photo call Aug. 11).

Corvallis-Gondar Sister Cities Association presents “Ethiopia: An evening of film, music and discussion.” The event includes the screening of the documentary “Kids Got a Song to Sing.” This story of a love of music and survival follows two young Azmari performers in Gondar, Ethiopia. Learn the regional dance of Corvallis’ Sister City to the music of the masenqo. A panel discussion with OSU African Student Association, Gondar government representatives and Corvallis-Gondar Sister Cities members will follow, including Badege Bishaw of the OSU College of Forestry. It takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. May 13 in Milam Auditorium. For more information see www.sistercities.corvallis.or.us/gondar or call 541-754-5608.

“American Oceanography at Mid-Century” is the subject of a conference to be held May 14 and 15, in the Memorial Union’s Joyce Powell Leadership Center. The conference coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the Oceanography Department at Oregon State University. Noted historian of science and geoscientist Naomi Oreskes will deliver the keynote speech on May 14, at 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union Journey Room. Titled “The Crucial Experiment That Wasn’t: Acoustic Tomography of Ocean Climate,” Oreskes’s talk will examine a mid-1990s experiment called ATOC (Acoustic Tomography of Ocean Climate) that aspired to provide definitive proof of global warming. Speakers from several institutions around the country and abroad will present sessions on May 15 (also at the MU Journey Room), on topics including:
· the role of upwelling in biological production;
· deep-sea biology;
· the impact of World War II on American oceanography;
· the importance of waves;
· the sea as a frontier.
For a full schedule of conference events, see www.oregonstate.edu/cla/history.

“Growing More Rice with Less Water…The Trouble with You Economists” will be presented by Randy Barker, Professor Emeritus with Cornell University at 3:30 p.m. May 8 in Ballard Extension Hall, room 200C.
Attention Academic Advisors: The next development opportunity is an afternoon visit with Craig Robinson, our Men’s Basketball Coach. Craig will address issues related to the life of student athletes—balancing demands on time, public perceptions/stereotypes, unique needs, and how all of our efforts to support athletes can be maximized to the fullest potential. Coach Craig Robinson on Student Athletes, May 8, 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Loge Level of Reser Stadium. Please contact Susie Leslie for more information, 541-737-8083 or susie.leslie@oregonstate.edu

Oregon State University Extended Campus (Ecampus) is hosting their second annual Spring Faculty Forum May 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center. The forum will showcase current Ecampus instructors’ courses and will provide opportunities to discuss personal experiences and best practices of online course development and innovative teaching methods. All OSU faculty are invited to attend. Concurrent sessions will be held throughout the day emphasizing OSU’s immediate opportunities to reach distance learners through online courses and degree programs. Some scheduled topics include: Engaging students in an online discussion; Advanced library research tools; Technology petting zoo; How to get online students working in effective groups; Hands on labs in online science courses; and Getting started with Ecampus-a novice’s experience. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Please RSVP online by May 6 at 5 p.m.: http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/forms/faculty-forum.htm

News for Employees

NEW! AEP Idea Challenge 2009. Do you have an idea for a new product or a new business? Do you have an idea for a Senior Project, or is there some idea bubbling around in your lab that has commercial potential? If so, the Idea Challenge is designed for you. The Challenge provides an opportunity to submit your written Idea and, if you are selected for the finals, to present your Idea to a panel of experts and a live audience. Submit a two-page (maximum) description of your Idea. Tell us what it is, how it works, who could use it, and why you think it is going to be a hit. Reviewers will select the 12 most interesting Ideas. The written description of your Idea must be submitted by noon on May 21 to Mary McKillop at mary.mckillop@bus.oregonstate.edu. The presentations will be held in Kelley Engineering 1001 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on May 28.

Active woman with menstrual dysfunction between the ages of 18 and 35 may be eligible to participate in a new study and an intervention at Oregon State University. Participants receive a no-cost bone density scan, maximal aerobic capacity test, muscle strength and power assessments, body composition analysis, quadricep fiber type determination, nutrition and energy expenditure measurements, and a full blood panel including analysis of iron, lipids, and vitamins. In addition, participants will receive $50 upon completion of the initial measurements, including the muscle biopsy, $50 after completion of post-intervention measures, and $25 after each follow-up (nine and 12 months). Persons invited to participate in the six-month intervention will also receive $25 for each month of participation. The study involves six visits, approximately 90 minutes each, over a one-month period for all participants and includes a blood draw, muscle biopsy and assessments of aerobic capacity, muscle strength and power, bone health, menstrual status, body composition, dietary intake and energy expenditure. If interested, contact Lynn Kam at (541) 497-7189 or cialdell@onid.orst.edu

The Department of Recreational Sports is recruiting for a 1.0 FTE Office Specialist 2 as a Reservations Specialist. The position recruitment has been approved by the Provost, as an internal search. The information for the position is available on the HR web site, and the posting number is 0004129. The closing date is May 8. If you have any questions, please contact Jen de-Vries, at jen.de-vries@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-6828.

OSU Extended Campus (Ecampus) is accepting proposals for grant funding in an effort to encourage research, development and scholarship of faculty and/or departments in the area of distance/online education. The expectation is that the funded proposals will further the strategic and programmatic objectives articulated in the University Strategic Plan, in particular as it relates to extended education, access and instructional excellence. Priority will be given to proposals that help OSU improve the effectiveness and “quality” of online and distance education. The proposal deadline is May 29. For more information, visit http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/faculty/grants/

The Academic Success Center invites applications for the position of September Scholars Bridge Program and Peer Education Coordinator. This coordinator position is appointed by, and reports to, the Director of the Academic Success Center. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, fixed-term position. To view a complete description of the position and/or to apply, please visit http://oregonstate.edu/jobs and search for posting # 0004109. Closing Date: May 8, 2009. OSU is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer.

Traffic and Maintenance

NEW! Due to the grand opening ceremony at Kearney Hall, a one-block section of Campus Way will be temporarily shutdown May 15. This will affect Campus Way from Benton Place (just east of Milne Computer Center) to 14th/15th Street. Traffic flow and OSU Shuttle Service will be temporarily re-directed, including traffic exiting the two Pioneer parking lots. Please expect delays and plan accordingly. Traffic control devices or flaggers will be in place to monitor traffic flow. The shutdown will begin at 4 p.m. May 15, and should end by 6 p.m.

Due to road repairs, portions of Jefferson Way between 30th Street and 35th Street will be temporarily closed. Suggested detour routes are Campus Way and Washington Way. Traffic control devices will be in place to direct traffic. This shutdown will begin at 8 a.m. and we anticipate reopening this portion of the road by 5:30 p.m. on May 11.

Weather

Today there will be morning showers with afternoon clearing and a high of 59, with an overnight low of 38. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high of 63.